Haunting of the Past
by The Emperor's Empress
Summary: "Maybe we'll see each other in the distant future, but for now, I have to say farewell." A tiny crack appeared in the clouds, revealing deep purple sky. A solitary star twinkled. Far off, underneath the same sky, was Akashi Seijuurou. Kuroko yielded to the wind as he gazed intently up at that star. The time has come. Sequel to THE DAY YOU SAID GOODNIGHT.


**TheEmperor'sEmpress»**

**» Once upon a time in the land of , an author by the pseudonym ****The Emperor's Empress ****posted a story entitled ****The Day You Said Goodnight****, a tragic story about one Akashi Seijuurou and one Kuroko Tetsuya. The next day, when author-san checked her account, she saw that her latest story got several reviews. Excitedly, she clicked the 'Reviews' button and this is what she read (just to state a few examples):**

— Dude. No. Not allowed. Just die.

Give us a Sequel.  
NOW...

—You better continue this and make them see each other again and have lovely, passionate sex or I swear I'll find where you live and throw rocks at your window.

—Okay you evil author, now go write a continuation of this that actually has A GOOD ending.. Anywaaaays.. Your writing was awesome! But how could you do that to my babies?! Fix this! T.T

**The Emperor's Empress**** was a bit terrified and so she decided to write the sequel.**

**Here you go, folks ^_^**

* * *

*** Haunting of the Past ***

_Only a dream, and yet I hear you singing_

_Singing in the shadows while gently falls the dew_

_Roses may fade, but each returning twilight_

_Brings the fragrant memory of you._

_~Bernard Hamblen, "The Memory of You"_

* * *

"What is this?" Deep creases formed between Akashi Masaomi's eyebrows.

They were on the top floor of the Akashi Company's building, in the president's office. Below them, the ancient city of Kyoto can be seen through the glass walld that encloses the whole room.

It had been months after Kuroko Tetsuya's disappearance, and the senior Akashi was confident that his son had already forgotten about the blue-haired boy. Akashi Seijuurou acted normally when he appeared in the office the day after the incident, and had worked as diligently as usual, being the ever-responsible heir he is. He even looks more focused as well. Getting rid of Kuroko Tetsuya had been a wise decision to do. Masaomi was about to proceed to the next step in his plan for his son's future — that is, to get him a suitable wife fitting for an Akashi heir who in turn will give Seijuurou a fine successor of his own — when all of a sudden, the younger Akashi pulls this outrageous stunt.

Father and son were sitting across the table from one another in the lavish conference room. Just before a very important meeting, Akashi Seijuuro had requested to talk to his father first about a very important matter.

An innocent-looking folder was laid out on the table. Akashi Masaomi had just glanced down at it in suspicion. His son looked him in the eye, silently telling him to pick it up and take a look at its contents.

"This is —" He almost dropped the folder back on the glass table. His ruby eyes flashed in anger. "What is the meaning of this, Seijuurou?!" He had to restrain himself not to throw the folder to the floor.

"Exactly what it means, father. I no longer wish to be your heir." Akashi Seijuurou said with finality, unaffected by the growing wrath of the man before him.

His father closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths to regain his composure. He cannot allow this to happen. Akashi Seijuurou said nothing and waited until the man opened his eyes again.

"Absurd," Akashi Masaomi sneered. "I'm a busy man. I have no time to be playing along with your jokes, Seijuurou."

"Joke? Is it?" Akashi Seijuurou pressed. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, father, but I am totally incapable of telling jokes. Besides we're too old for those kinds of things, don't you think?"

"You can't just leave the Akashi Company like this, Seijuurou! You're ruining the name and efforts of all the Akashis before you!" Akashi Masaomi roared. "What will happen to the company after I'm gone?"

"What happens then is no longer my problem."

The older man's face turned red as his hair. And then an idea struck him.

"If you refuse to be my heir, then you refuse the right to be considered as my son. I will disown you, and you will no longer be part of the Akashi family," he said. "What will happen to you, then?"

"I have perfectly thought of everything. Disowning me is not a matter of significance to me. Besides, I never felt that I belong to this family, anyway — the family ceased to exist the day mother died." Akashi Seijuurou jerked his chin at the folder. "In fact, I have completed the necessary paperworks for your convenience. You only have to sign the necessary papers, and 'Akashi Seijuurou' will no longer be a part of the family register. You'll no longer have a son. As for me, I don't think that I even have a father, so nothing much will change in my case."

Akashi Seijuurou stood up, having made his point. "Goodbye, father — for the last time. Next time we meet, we will be strangers." He moved to the door.

"Do not be ridiculous, Seijuurou!"

Akashi Seijuurou paused, his hand already on the doorknob. "If there's someone who's being ridiculous here, it's not me but you."

Akashi Masaomi's breath caught. He chewed his lip. The colour rapidly receded from his face.

"What are your reasons for doing this, Seijuurou?"

The former heir turned and maintained a steady gaze at the man's pale face, and said nothing for one full minute. He then smiled, a cold and mocking one directed to his former father.

"...Reasons," he said softly, and then louder, he said with a scoff. "Knowing them will not change the fact that I am no longer your heir." He twisted the doorknob, and facing the door, he added, "I'm done being your puppet" and walked out into the hallway.

The door closed with a final click.

Akashi Seijuurou is now free.

"I should have done this a long time ago," he murmured to himself as he stepped outside of the building. Akashi shook the imaginary dust from his shoes before heading to the parking lot where he had left his car.

Akashi smiled serenely at the sight of the sleek black Maserati. His father had completely misplaced his concern. Akashi is perfectly fine without the backing of his inheritance. He can fully support himself as early as a sixteen-year old high school student. It's just that his father had been too busy to even notice his son's activities, which totally worked in Akashi's favor.

_I never needed the Akashi name in the first place._

He was driving back to Tokyo when his phone rang. Putting on his earpiece, he received the call without as much as glancing at the caller ID. He already knows who this is. Or rather, who they are.

A worried yet cheerful voice came from the other end of the line.

"Sei-chan!"

A faint smile formed on Akashi's lips. "Reo."

"So how did it go? Where are you now? He didn't do anything to you, did he? Are you going back here right away? Maybe you still have some things to take care of in Kyoto? When would you — Hey!"

At Mibuchi's cry of protest, another voice can be heard. This one is quiet in comparison to the loud voice of former Rakuzan's shooting guard.

"You're asking too many questions. Do you want to annoy Akashi?"

"Mayu-chan, I'm just concerned about Sei-chan! Who knows what his terrible father can —"

Again, another voice interrupted Mibuchi. "Are you an idiot? This is Akashi we are talking about. No one can oppose him, not even that rotten dad of his..."

Akashi can only sigh as he was momentarily forgotten as the people on the other end of the line bickered with one another. Fortunately, Mibuchi had set the call on loudspeaker, and thus, when he next spoke, they immediately settled down.

Mayuzumi apologized for the group. "I'm sorry for that just now, Akashi. You know how it gets with this three."

"I understand."

In the background, Hayama was talking excitedly in that usual hyperactive manner of his.

"It's almost coming, isn't it? We're going to clear out the old political powers and make way to build our own super-company. It's finally beginning!"

The redhead found himself nodding in agreement to the blonde's words. After answering Mibuchi's earlier questions, he gave them a few things to do before hanging up.

"See you all in this afternoon's meeting, then," said Akashi. "I'm counting on your assistance."

A very energetic "Hai!" was the response that he received.

"You can depend on us, Sei-chan!"

"As long as you are involved in something, there's no way it won't succeed."

"See ya, later, boss!."

"It is as they said, Akashi," agreed Mayuzumi. "Now, I think we'll wrap up here and get to our jobs. We will see you later, then?"

"Yes." Akashi replied, a peaceful look on his face. It was a blessing having such reliable people on his side — not only as valuable employees in his very own company (which was steadily and rapidly making its way to the top), but as fiercely loyal and supportive friends as well.

They ended the call, and he was left in the comfortable silence of his car.

"Finally." He was not the least bit affected that as he drove out of Kyoto, he was also abandoning his right and responsibility as the sole heir to the great Akashi fortune.

Most would think that he was a fool for turning his back on such a thing. Everyone would have died to take his place, but Akashi couldn't care less. Let them have it — I never wanted it in the first place. And let's see if they can handle all the shit that comes along with that 'great fortune'.

Akashi's refusal to be the heir is not because he wasn't able to handle the pressure. He hardly feels any — he'd spent his whole life being subjected to it that it hardly feels anything at all. Besides, he was fully capable of doing what was expected of him. It's all easy as pie, which is exactly why he quit in the first place.

He'd rather build his own empire, not to rule a hand-me down from his father.

It went well. He had been able to remove one obstacle from his line of sight — the limiting string of the Akashi name. And then, with the help of his friends, who works for him now in his very own company that he had been running by the time he went to college, he would make a name far greater than the Akashi family could ever hope to achieve.

_And then what?_

Stopped at an intersection, Akashi glanced out the window. He looked up at the sky.

_What am I doing? Why am I doing this?_

Certainly, he could have just waited until his father turns over the company to him and then he can run it the way he wants. It was bound to happen sooner or later; his father had been feeling unwell lately. And Akashi can have the patience of a saint if need be.

His father's last question echoed in his head.

_What are your reasons for doing this, Seijuurou?_

Akashi pressed a button, and the window opened, revealing the bright blue sky past the tinted glass. The wind tousled his crimson bangs. A wave of longing coursed through his being as the heavens reminded him of a certain person. Pain was reflected in his heterochromatic depths.

_Tetsuya... why won't you come home? Why aren't you beside me? I just want to look into your eyes and see that I am me, that I can continue to be who I am. They are my only anchor. _

_Tetsuya, I want to see you. _

There were no tears. A growl escaped through the crack between his lips. It was an animal growl, in a voice he could hardly call his own, but to the darker, sinister side of him.

"I will find you, Tetsuya. Even if I had to raise Hell to see you again." The lights turned green. Akashi closed the window and exhaled.

He glanced outside.

The piercing blue sky moments earlier spread out overhead now looked gray, overshadowed by the glass between them.

Akashi stepped on the pedal and faced the road before him, tearing his eyes from the endless expanse of blue.

* * *

_A clear blue sky._

_Akashi and Kuroko was standing at the edge of a cliff._

_"This is it." The wind tousled Kuroko's hair, and he smoothed it down with his hand._

_"What do you mean, Tetsuya?" Akashi asked, stepping forward to get to his lover._

_Kuroko stepped back. "...You haven't realized it yet, Sei?"_

_"Realize what, Tetsuya?"_

_"I'm leaving."_

_Akashi frowned. "In what context of 'leaving', Tetsuya?"_

_Kuroko smiled — a bland one. "Leaving. From the word 'leave', which means to depart, to go away. To end."_

_"Tetsuya, you can't —"_

_"Yes, I can, Akashi-kun. You see," Kuroko took another step backward before Akashi could stop him. "This is the end of us." And he fell._

"Tetsuya!"

Akashi woke up in the middle of the night calling out Kuroko's name. In the darkness of the room, Akashi sat up in bed, unable to go back to sleep. Not after that dream.

Akashi believes that the only constant thing in this world is change. But still, there are some things that Akashi knows with certaintly that will be untouched by change nor the passing of time. A concrete example of that would be his love for Kuroko Tetsuya. Not even death can change that.

And he had believed that it was the same with Kuroko as well. Back in their basketball-playing years, Kuroko was the only one who remained constant in the face of their Awakening, the one who remained pure and untainted by the blinding glare of victory.

Turns out he was wrong.

It was on the day he had woken up — the day that everything had ended.

The day when his carefully constructed world of reds and blues all fell apart and just bled crimson all over.

After a somewhat intense lovemaking, he had collapsed into bed with Kuroko and slept like a log. His slumber was deep enough to cut off all of his senses, and when he woke, it was already morning of the following day.

There was no sign of Kuroko beside him. Only the scent of him remained in his spot in the bed. He went out the bedroom and saw that damn note that told him that Kuroko had gone away. Remembering that moment, Akashi placed a fist on top of the folded blanket. A strangled noise subconsciously escaped his throat.

_Tetsuya, why have you gone? Is this a repeat of your disappearance act just like you did years ago? _

In their last year in middle school, Kuroko had disappeared after the Nationals and didn't show up for school for a long time. And when he did, it was with a resignation letter that he gave Akashi one afternoon just before the start of club practice. With that letter, Kuroko had turned his back on Teiko's basketball team and all that it stands for. That afternoon Kuroko had disappeared from Akashi's side. He had disappeared starkly, as if everything from the time that he first saw the tealhead with Aomine in the third-string gym had been an illusion.

Back then, they had only just met. They barely knew anything about each other―not a single thing about the pasts they shouldered, the future they beheld, and the emotions they kept within their souls.

_But it was different now. _

Yes, there were still things they could not grasp, things they still could not understand about each other. But that was alright — no one can perfectly understand another human being. Still, their understanding of one another could be the closest that someone could possibly achieve.

_But now you're leaving again with just another letter? _

Akashi's thoughts got as far as that before he shook his head vehemently.

Of course not. Kuroko had actually bid him goodbye.

He wouldn't vanish without a word. That's not how Kuroko does things. He may come off shy and all, but Kuroko is not a coward.

_He even kissed you goodnight, right?_

Akashi let his gaze wander over to the empty side of the bed.

Kuroko's were soft and sweet as the bluenette kissed him tenderly. Their lips overlapped. It was a searing, but gentle, passionate kiss.

_"Not a thank-you kiss, is it?"_

_"It's a good-night kiss."_

Akashi stood up and went out into the kitchen. Dressed in his yukata, leaning on the counter of the open kitchen and staring into the horizon from the large windows of his living room, he sipped his warm tea, finding comfort in the baby blue of the sky and the red sun of the early morning.

"Tetsuya. I never found out the reason to your sudden disappearance. But―I don't need to know.

Just come back home. Back to me. And we'll all forget that this happened. I love you, Tetsuya, so please, come back. You're the only one I ever love and can only love. My one and only, irreplaceable person.

I'll keep waiting for you, Tetsuya. No matter how many years it takes, no matter how old I get, I'll keep waiting for you right here, in this place, in this room.

The emperor and the shadow―their paths were bound to intersect again. And when they did, Akashi would not let him go again so easily.

Tetsuya, I'll keep waiting for you.

The sun had already risen, bathing the whole of Tokyo in its warm, bright light.

The light streamed down, and encompassed everything.

Except for Akashi's lonely heart.

* * *

_When Time, who steals our years away_

_Shall steal our pleasures, too,_

_The mem'ry of the past will stay,_

_And half our joys renew._

_~ Thomas Moore, "Song"_

* * *

It was snowing. A light snow, but snow all the same. And they fell in a slow descent all around him. In the darkness of the early evening, the sight was enchanting to behold.

Before entering the house, Kuroko lightly ran his hand through his hair. He had not bring anything to cover his head, and now his hair is slightly wet. The cool night air of early winter crept up from his feet. If he didn't warm up soon, he would probably catch a cold.

Kuroko knew he would, but he continued to stand in front of the door, unable to move. He was cold. His spirits were heavy. He was unable to tear his eyes from the sight of the first snow of winter — it brought back a certain memory that he'd rather forget than remember.

It was just too painful.

But his mind was stubborn, and Kuroko soon drifted into a reminiscing of the past.

_"Tetsuya, do you know how to dance?" Akashi asked, standing out in the snow-covered yard while Kuroko was watching him from his seat on the low porch of the back part of the cottage. Both were dressed in fur coats and layers of clothes to keep them warm._

_"I never had a reason to learn how to dance, Sei. Unlike you, I never had to attend grand balls and dance with just about anyone."_

_Akashi laughed and turned to face him. "Are you still sulking about that, Tetsuya?" He was talking about the party he had attended in Nara, and he had taken the bluenette with him. They never got the chance to dance as Kuroko was adamant about refusing, and due to Akashi's duty to be sociable with the other guests, he had danced with some of the girls there. _

_"I'm not," he denied, though his tone tells otherwise._

_Akashi chuckled and approached him._

_"I'll teach you."_

_"Huh?"_

_"I'll teach you a dance." Just then, the snow started falling around them._

_"Sei, it's snowing! You should not be standing out there, or you'll get —"_

_"Over here, come on." Akashi grabbed Kuroko arm, and forced him to stand. He slid his hand around his waist._

_"See, I knew it," he said._

_"What?"_

_"I'm taller than you."_

_"Liar," Kuroko retorted. "There's barely any difference."_

_Akashi chuckled. "There IS a difference. No matter how small it may be." His face was smug. "The point is that it exists."_

_Kuroko pouted, tempting Akashi to lean and kiss the tip of his nose._

_To hide his blush, Kuroko looked to the side and said, "So, my emperor, what kind of dance are you going to teach me?" _

_"We'll begin with the basic steps. Come on―back straight, chin up. Don't look down."_

_After a while of dancing, Kuroko noticed that the snow was getting heavier._

_"Sei, let's stop," Kuroko protested. "We can continue this inside. We might slip on the ice."_

_"There'll be none of that kind of clumsiness. Alright, turn here. Step back. Once more, and turn. See, you can do it," Akashi continued with the motions, not even giving Kuroko to think._

_"You're just pulling me along."_

_"You're still doing pretty well. Your movements are light. Step out and turn. Good, you're staying on the beat. And repeat the first steps again. Keep dancing―dance, Tetsuya."_

_Kuroko opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again and lent his body fully to Akashi's movements. He tilted an ear to the lighthearted melody that spilled from Akashi's lips._

_"What are you humming, Sei?" he asked with a tilt of his head._

_Akashi paused for a moment to answer the tealhead's question. "It's Beethoven's Winter Sonata." He pulled Kuroko closer so that they were practically hugging each other, and they swayed to the the redhead's singing. Eventually even that too, faded to silence. They stayed like that for a long time, the snow already forgotten. _

_It's just him and Akashi, dancing to the music of their heartbeats, wishing for this moment to last forever._

This past year, everything had changed. Like a crashing wave, like the torrential waters of a rapid, like an avalanche, everything was swallowed up, sucked into the spiral, torn asunder, and twisted around. Everything seemed like a dream.

Kuroko exhaled, and gazed in turn at the door, the brass knob, and the window out of which spilled a dim light.

"How are you now, Sei? I wish you're doing well."

_About Seijuurou's future. Of which you have no right and place to be._

Akashi Masaomi's words echoed in his mind.

_Break your relationship with Seijuurou._

It was no request or a plea. It was an order or command. One that gives him no choice.

_Tetsuya, will you spend your life with me?_

Kuroko closed his eyes. A painful lump grew in his throat.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the sky. Of course, he could see neither the stars nor the moon. A tear slid down his cheek. It touched his lips as it rolled down his face.

_Maybe we'll see each other in the distant future, but for now, I have to say farewell._

Its overwhelming reality almost suffocated him. He wanted to scream.

_In the distant future... But when will that be exactly? Will it ever come?_

Sei, I'll definitely come back, he spoke to the dark sky, void of light. I'll be waiting for that time when fate will allow us to be together once again.

Can you hear me, Sei? Someday...

A dog barked noisily. It was coming from inside the house.

Kuroko's mind was yanked from the past back into the present. His heart beat fiercely. He pushed the door open. He was met with an earful of barking. They were barks of joy and affection, not aggression or apprehension. A dog with black and white fur leapt up and jumped at Kuroko as it barked. It wagged its tail fiercely and jabbed its snout against his thigh. Its pale blue eyes contained even more joy than its voice.

"I thought at first that you had transformed into a dog."

"Ogiwara-kun!"

Ogiwara Shigehiro made an exaggerated grimace from his spot on the sofa.

"Your dog looks happier when he saw me."

"Hah!" Another person joined them. The person looks just like Kuroko — same blue hair, same blue eyes, same pale complexion. Except that her hair was longer, her eyes much more expressive, and that she had a boobs. She laughed as she set the tray containing cups of hot vanilla-flavored chocolate drink. "I told you not to get your hopes up."

"Well, no harm in hoping, y'know," Ogiwara said, reaching for a cup. Kuroko joined them on the couch in front of the fireplace. "Where have you been anyway?"

"I just went to take a walk," Kuroko replied.

"You shouldn't go leaving Tetsumi here alone, Kuroko. Good thing I was a gentleman and offered her company. Right, Tetsumi?"

"Gentleman? Whoa, I didn't know 'gentlemen' referred to guys who'd come barging at my house without warning, demanding that he see my beloved Ya-chan, and did not even thanked me for the chocolate. Huh, well, I learned something new. Since when have meanings changed so much? What has the world come to?" Tetsumi let out a long, doleful sigh.

At Ogiwara's flabbergasted expression, Kuroko burst out laughing. Ogiwara and Tetsumi had, ever since the first time they met, a love-hate relationship. It had been a while since he heard them bickering like this. He laughed from deep down in his belly for the first time in a long time.

"You two haven't changed at all."

"It's because Shige-kun here hasn't even grown up at all!" Tetsumi stated with a snort.

"Hey, I've grown a few inches since last year!" the brunette protested.

"But your brain clearly hasn't," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. As the two bickered noisily, Kuroko watched them with contentment. He felt slightly better than he was a moment earlier. At the small smile on his face and Nigou's happy bark, Tetsumi and Ogiwara shared a satisfied look.

* * *

_The bitter memory_

_Of what he was, what is, and what must be._

_~ John Milton, "Paradise Lost"_

* * *

He caught a whiff of the aroma of coffee and bread. It was the smell of waking up. This setting reminded Kuroko of the time when he first introduced Akashi to his parents. He remembered inviting the redhead for dinner, which ended up with Akashi staying the night and breakfast the following day as well. They had shared Kuroko's bed, but when he woke up the next day, Akashi was no longer there.

_Kuroko opened the door into the living room. _

_"Good morning, Tetsuya," Akashi was smiling with a coffee cup in hand. "I woke up not too long ago. Your parents and I talked for a while." _

_Kuroko swallowed his sigh of relief, and with great effort feigned a calm demeanour. _

_"What did you talked about?" _

_"About our relationship, of course." _

_"You told them?!" _

_Akashi raised an eyebrow at his shocked expression. "It's the truth, isn't it?" The cup twirled around in Akashi's hand. "They've suspected as much."_

_Oh, and Tetsuya," the redhead gestured at his head. "Nice hair."_

_His comment had Kuroko pouting. Akashi always teases him about his atrocious bedhair, and right now, he didn't need to look at a mirror to see how his pale blue hair resembled a bird's nest, its ends sticking up in every which way. _

_"You don't have to tell me that, Sei," he said, moving over to sit beside Akashi. A cup of vanilla-flavored coffee was on the table, having prepared by Akashi earlier, knowing just what time the bluenette will wake up._

_"Your father had left early due to the emergency at the workplace last night." _

_"Oh, yeah, right..." Kuroko nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip of the delicious beverage that only Akashi can make perfectly according to his taste._

_"Your mother, on the other hand, was busy making a 'proper' breakfast, even though I told her I'm fine with simple toast and eggs... Isn't that what we usually have for breakfast?" Akashi jerked his chin to the direction of the kitchen. Kuroko could hear the muffled sounds of cooking. "I volunteered to help, but she kicked me out of the kitchen."_

_Somehow the image of Akashi getting kicked out of the kitchen amused Kuroko. He let out a small chuckle._

_Akashi frowned. "I was trying to be helpful."_

_"Mother never lets anyone in the kitchen. It's her territory."_

_"I see now why you didn't know anything about cooking when you still lived here." Akashi commented, to which Kuroko gave him a half-hearted glare._

_"I know how to cook boiled eggs."_

_"That can hardly be called cooking."_

_"There's a pot, food, and fire involved. If that's not cooking, then what do you call that, then?" Kuroko argued._

_"Fine, fine, whatever you say, Tetsuya," Akashi acquiesced. Then he put his cup down, and his eyes moved towards the white wall. There was no smile playing on his lips anymore. It was as if his gaze pierced through the wall, focusing on Kuroko's mother who bustled about on the other side. A darkness lurked in the depths of his look. _

_"Your mother is an incredible woman," Akashi said. His voice was so low it was almost a whisper, but there was definitely a note of awe in it. "In some way, she makes me remember my own mother."_

_"Sei..." _

_The nostalgic look disappeared, and was replaced by a playful look. Akashi reached over, hands on Kuroko's head. He ran his hands over the soft blue hair and began working on taming Kuroko's wild mane. What Kuroko always remedies with a shower was fixed by Akashi's gentle hands in just a few minutes._

_"I don't understand why your hair gets like this every morning. It's not that it's dry or not cared for..." Akashi muttered. Due to their close proximity, Kuroko could smell Akashi's perfume, blended in with the redhead's natural scent. It was both a comforting and seductive scent._

"_Hmm..."_

_"I really want to kiss you right now." The redhead suddenly said, making Kuroko look up at him in surprise. "But I won't."_

_Kuroko's face scrunched up lightly. Licking his lips slowly, he asked in an innocent voice, "But why?"_

_Akashi narrowed his eyes at Kuroko's actions. "Tetsuya, you can't be seriously seducing me right now, are you?" Those lips look very, very tempting in Akashi's mind right now._

_The bluenette, on the other hand, just leaned closer and tilted his head to the side, exposing his creamy neck. "Seducing you? Now why would I do that? 'Seducing' was your specialty, not mine."_

_"Oh?" Two can play this game. In an instant, Akashi's gaze became heated, almost sultry as he stared back at Kuroko's eyes. The bluenette gulped at the intensity of passion reflected in those red and gold orbs. Akashi brought his face close to Kuroko's, their noses almost touching. He traced Kuroko's jawline with a finger, his touches feathery light on Kuroko's skin. Akashi's finger stopped at his chin. He smiled and before __he realized what he intended he'd put his hands on his shoulders, moving his back against the couch, and proceeded to kiss him._

_Sei-kun was very good, he thought dazedly, trying not to react. His hands were touching him, his mouth the merest whisper against his lips, and without thinking he closed his eyes, feeling Akashi's kiss brush against his cheekbones, his eyelids, then down to his mouth again, clinging slightly, then moving on, down the side of his neck._

_He didn't know what to do with his hands. Part of him was telling him to reach up and push him away as they might be seen by his mother, but he didn't really want to. The soft, feathering kisses simply made him want more, so when Akashi moved one of his hands from Kuroko's shoulders to cup his face, and when he pressed his mouth against his, harder this time, he opened for him, letting Akashi have his way with him._

_But just as he was about to let himself sink into the pleasure of it, the sound of footsteps stopped him. Akashi was, oh, so adept. He knew how to kiss, how to use his lips, his tongue, his hands, and if he were just a little bit more stupid he'd be awash with desire._

_But his mother was coming. And Kuroko is still unsure how she will react if she was to see them kissing._

_His hands, which were just about to clutch Akashi' shoulders, pushed him away instead. He used more strength than he needed to—he made no effort to resist, he simply fell back, that faint amusement on his face at seeing Kuroko's blushing face._

_Kuroko's mother appeared in the doorway. "Boys, breakfast is ready!"_

_Akashi turned to her and smiled politely. "Thank you, Kuroko-san. We'll be joining you in the dining room shortly."_

_"Okay!"_

_When she was gone, Kuroko glared at the smirking Akashi. "She could've seen us!"_

_"You seduced me first."_

_Kuroko gawked. "Wha —?!" _

_"Tetsuya, let's have breakfast, okay?If we stay here any longer, I might eat you..." Akashi placed a finger on Kuroko's lips. "We wouldn't want that right?" The suggestive tone in his voice invoked some very graphic images in Kuroko's head. _

_"R-right! L-let's go!" And before his blush could turn even redder than it is, Kuroko stomped out of the living room, followed by a chuckling Akashi._

_Kuroko almost snorted at this particular side of Akashi. _

_Everything seemed beautiful―this playful conversation, the gentle atmosphere, even the rays of the rising sun coming in through the window. _

_It was a gem of a moment which had existed between the storm that had passed and the storm Kuroko was about to face. Akashi's father had stepped in between them, and Kuroko was forced to leave Akashi behind. Their tangled and overlapping fates had once met, separated, and were now drifting apart once more._

_When would they intersect again? _

* * *

"Hey, Akashi." Nijimura's face drew nearer.

"Yes, Shuuzo?"

"Instead of moping here in the corner, why don't you join them over there?" He looked over to where Kise was having a Pocky game with Aomine, as well as Takao and Midorima while the rest were loudly cheering as the Pocky sticks decreased in length.

"No, thanks. The Spin-the-Bottle was enough for me," Akashi said with a wry smile, recalling the night's earlier events.

Nijimura laughed. Akashi raised an eyebrow. "I never thought you were a good dancer, Shuuzo. Much less doing a striptease in front of me."

That statement silenced Nijimura. He blushed, then glared at the smirking redhead. "It was a dare, damn it."

Akashi smiled.

The impromptu party was enjoyable. Everyone ate, talked, and laughed plenty.

It was fun―very fun.

If Tetsuya were here―his heart wavered in uncertainty. If Tetsuya were here, he would have stayed beside Akashi all the time, blushing at the slightest of touches, laughing at the Aho-Baka duo and the Twin-Blonde idiots, sipping on his milkshake while the others drank wine and other 'grown-up' drinks. Once in a while, he would say something that would sent Kise wailing, Aomine choking, and Kagami face-palming while Akashi would look on proudly at his lover.

_Tetsuya, where are you? What are you doing right now? _

_I haven't seen you for a three years now. _

Hours later, he and his companions set off for home into the night.

"Shuuzo," Akashi said as he and Nijimura walked out of the building. Teiko's former captain turned only his head to look at the redhead beside him.

"What is it?"

"Why did you invite the Kiseki and the others over today?"

"Hm? Well... I don't think I really had a reason. I thought it'd be nice to have some people over for once. You've been so busy you haven't even had time to sit down and enjoy a good time."

"So you did this out of concern for me?"

Nijimura turned his whole body towards his boss-slash-friend this time, and shook his head slightly.

"It's not like that. It's just―Akashi, have you noticed? You don't smile anymore."

"Huh?"

"It's been a while since you smiled truly until tonight."

Akashi touched his own cheek. His skin felt hard and tense beneath his fingertips. Nijimura was looking steadily at Akashi's fingers.

"You need to loosen up once in a while. I don't want you to have a repeat of your last year in Teiko."

"The company's going as planned. I don't have anything to worry or think about."

"Are you sure that there's 'nothing'?" Nijimura raised his chin. His tone and gaze grew hard, as if he were challenging someone. "Akashi, is there really 'nothing'?"

Akashi didn't answer but continued walking.

"I knew it," Nijimura said. "Everyone in the office knows it. It's Kuroko, isn't it?"

A shadow flitted across Akashi's eyes.

He looked up at the night sky. It was dark, but tomorrow, a blue sky would open up above them.

"It's been four years, Shuuzo... Four years since Tetsuya left."

There was a forlorn note in his voice that made Nijimura's heart ache.

"Why does everyone I love ends up leaving me?"

First, his mother. And now —

"Akashi, I don't think Kuroko has left you completely." Nijimura's gaze and tone turned to those of a mother. It was a glimpse of a mother's love, the foolish, fierce, pure, and selfish love that worried only of her own child's welfare and wished for only his happiness. "From what you've told us about his disappearance, there's something suspicious about it. His last words — didn't you notice? It's like he was forced to leave you or something..."

"But why? Why didn't he tell me anything?!"

"What I'm trying to say here is that Kuroko has his reasons for leaving you. For all we know, he might had a part in Kuroko's disappearance."

Akashi did not question who "he" was. Instead, he silently gazed up at Nijimura and let out a subdued sigh.

"Even when he was already dead, he still managed to ruin my life."

"But will you let him?"

They were nearing their respective cars in the parking lot.

Akashi smirked. "Of course not."

_I'll definitely find you, Tetsuya. _

_I have complete faith in you, Tetsuya. I always have, always will. I'm confident that out there, you're also trying to get back to me. _

_I trust in you, Tetsuya._

_I won't let my father ruin the best thing I have._

Nijimura patted him on the shoulder.

"Just don't stress too much about it. Mibuchi has been worrying himself to death over his beloved 'Sei-chan'. I swear, if I hear more 'Sei-chan this, Sei-chan that', maybe I'll consider resigning."

Akashi chuckled at Nijimura's complaints, fully knowing that Nijimura only meant the last part as a joke.

"Good night."

"Good night, Shuuzo."

Before the ravenhead could turn away, Akashi added in an almost whisper, "And thank you."

* * *

_When to the sessions of sweet silent thought_

_I summon up remembrances of things past,_

_I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,_

_And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste._

_~ William Shakespeare, "Sonnets"_

* * *

It was already midnight, and the apartment was dark. Akashi sat at his kitchen counter, a bottle of red wine in front of him. He didn't why he did it, but after opening it, he didn't bother getting a glass or whatever, but took a swig directly from the bottle itself.

Earlier he had attended another of those boring business parties where he had the displeasure of meeting his father where they exchanged fake pleasantries to one another, as they did to their fellow businessmen. As a rule, Akashi never drinks much in such parties; not that he gets drunk easily, nor was he a stupid drunk (unlike the rest of the Kiseki no Sedai, or Nijimura, or his Rakuzan team, even Kuroko). Truth is, he has never experienced getting totally drunk to the point that he would lose all self-restraint and self-respect (not that he's interested, and even though he's deadly curious about what a drunk Akashi Seijuurou would be like, sometimes there are some things that are better left unknown). However, this does not apply when it comes to his curiousity as to how a drunk Kuroko would be like.

_Just the day before, Akashi had gone to some party and brought home a bottle of red wine as a gift from the host. He had stored the wine in their cupboard, and that night, as Kuroko was rummaging through them, he stumbled upon it and asked Akashi about it, who was reading something as he lounged on the couch._

"_Oh, it's wine," the bluenette said, reading the label. It was obvious to Akashi that he hadn't tasted one before. He found Kuroko's innocence very endearing. But then, considering how he made the bluenette moan and shiver in pleasure in their bed at night, hmmm... Guess Kuroko was not that innocent after all. Not after what Akashi has done to him and to his body._

_Akashi stifled a chuckle behind his book. _

"_What? What's so funny, Sei?"_

"_Oh, nothing. I just thought of something."_

_Akashi closed his book and stood up. He went over to Kuroko and inspected the bottle himself. _

"_Care for a drink, Tetsuya?"_

"_Ah, Sei...?" Kuroko blinked at him uncertainly. "I don't drink. Have you forgotten?" _

"_No. I haven't."_

"_Then why are you —"_

_"Nothing's wrong with just knowing what wine tastes like. Red wine is actually very delicious. Wouldn't you like to try it?"_

"_Well, if you say so..."_

"_Good." Turning, Akashi got a corkscrew and opened the wine bottle as Kuroko searched for their unused wine goblets. They brought everything to the low dining table and Akashi poured wine into their goblets. They talked about random things as they drank, and Kuroko actually enjoyed the liquor. The taste was simply marvelous. A gentle sweetness crept up from the depths of its acidity. It was delicious. _

_Before long, the two had emptied the whole bottle between themselves. _

"_You can handle alcohol pretty well, can't you?" Akashi asked, a bit disappointed._

"_Impressed?" Kuroko grinned cockily with a flushed face. _

"_Not impressed, really, just a bit surprised. Not bad for your first time."_

"_This is my first drink ever. I didn't expect it to taste so good," Kuroko said thoughtfully. "If I had known red wine to be this good, then maybe I should have started drinking early."_

"_Huh? Wait, Tetsuya, are you alright? You just had half a bottle of wine. You must be pretty drunk by now." _

"_Mmmm, not really, no," Kuroko said contentedly. "It just feels nice. That's it! Red wine is now my favorite drink! Goodbye to vanilla milkshakes!'_

"_...That won't be a good idea, Tetsuya."_

"_Uh, let me see," Kuroko drawled, then chuckled. "No, I believe it's a good idea. Ha ha, cheers! Cheers to wine! Banzai~!" _

"_Tetsuya―you're pretty drunk." _

"_I am drunk. I drank wine, didn't I? Of course I'd be drunk. Or is there some law saying I'm not allowed to be drunk?" Kuroko leaned so far forward that their noses were practically touching. _

"_Tetsuya... please tell me you don't pick fights with people when you're drunk." _

"_Pick fights with people? What people? You?"_

_" Who else?" _

_Kuroko stood up abruptly and put a hand on his hip. _

"'_My orders are absolute.' Ha ha ha, how was it? Wasn't that impression spot-on?" _

"_Impression of who?" _

"_You." _

"_Not even a bit." _

"_Liar! I sounded exactly like you." Kuroko stabbed a finger at Akashi, and drew a circle with it. "You know, I think I've awakened to my talent of doing impressions. Maybe I'm a miming progigy. Progidy, progidy, whatever. 'My orders are absolute.' Ha ha, see! I do sound like you! Hey, maybe we're long lost twins or something!" _

"_...Is it fun imitating me?" Akashi said exasperatedly. "And heavens forbid if we're related by blood. I don't want to commit incest."_

_"Maybe you dyed your hair or something?"_

_"Aren't you supposed to ask that to yourself?"_

"_Hmmm?" Kuroko looked at him in puzzlement. And then, he pointed a finger at himself and did just what Akashi had told him. "Hey, Kuroko, did you dye your hair or something?" After which he shook his head, then looked back at Akashi. "Nope. He says my hair color is natural."_

_"Tetsuya, I think we should go to bed."_

_Kuroko went over to Akashi. The redhead turned from the table to face him and was surprised when Kuroko crouched in front of him and brought his nose right up to Akashi's. " To bed, Sei? What are we gonna do when we get to bed?" _

_Akashi tilted his face away, drew his chin back, and tried to smile gently like a mother indulging her baby. The muscles around his cheeks were tense and refused to co-operate. _

_"Of course, we're going to —." Akashi tilted his head backwards. "Tetsuya, what are you —!" _

_Kuroko licked the tip of his nose again, then answered, "I'm licking your nose." _

"'_Don't tell me you're imitating Nigou..." Akashi sighed._

_" You gave me an idea with that idea..."_

"_Tetsuya... you're not going to imitate Nigou, okay?"_

_Kuroko pouted, disappointed that he won't get his plan out. "Fine. I won'. I might bite you, though," Kuroko said, stretching out his last syllable in a singsong voice. _

"_Oho? Tetsuya, are you suggesting something?"_

_"I'm saying that we should go to bed and make mad, wild love... Y'know..."_

_"Tetsuya?"_

_Kuroko was leaning heavily on him. Akashi could hear the sound of his soft slumbering breathing. _

"_You must be kidding me," he muttered. " You'd go saying all those things, had me saying and thinking all those things, and then you'd fall asleep on me. Tsk."_

_Akashi shifted his weight. Kuroko shifted along with him, and they both tumbled onto the floor. Kuroko's breathing did not so much as catch. It continued on, even and regular. _

"_God," Akashi grumbled. "You stay awake just long enough to blabber to your heart's content, then you're out like a light. I don't know if you could get any more 'typical drunk' than this." _

_But a drunk Kuroko was actually an adorable one. Kuroko can never say such things to Akashi (even though he wants to) out loud when he is sober. Akashi was the outspoken one when it comes to sex after all. _

_He then remembered Kuroko's statement about biting him... Akashi couldn't hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing. _

_He continued to laugh by himself, with Kuroko beside him. _

_He woke up in bed the nexr morning._

_He knew it was dawn just by seeing through the crack through the curtains of their bedroom window. The eastern skies were just beginning to lighten. It was the blue hour._

_Akashi sat up in bed and raked a hand through his hair, then inhaled and exhaled deeply. His gaze fell on the sleeping figure beside him, and he smiled unconsciously._

_Akashi had never felt such peace in waking up ever since his mother died. Before, every time he opened his eyes was a struggle. Every day was a bore — he doesn't want to see the servants' faces, his tutors' faces, his father's face most especially. The only face he wants to see was no longer there, but buried six feet deep in the cold earth. She was dead._

_Every morning since then, waking up was the last thing Akashi wanted to do. _

"_Mm..." _

_Kuroko rolled over. Last night, Akashi had dragged him to bed, and he had continued to sleep without a sound, save for his breathing. _

_Akashi looked at the person who changed his hatred for mornings. After all, if you were to wake up everyday with the sky right beside you, who wouldn't be excited or happy about it?_

_Akashi leaned and gave the bluenette a light kiss. "Thank you, Tetsuya."_

_Kuroko rolled over again. His eyelids fluttered, and slowly lifted. In nearly inky darkness, Akashi could see a faint white outline of Kuroko's profile and hair. _

"_Sei...?" _

_Despite the fact that he had just woken up, and that they were immersed in darkness, Kuroko's vision had caught Akashi squarely and his ears had sensed his words. _

"_I was giving you my morning greetings. How do you feel today?" _

"_I feel... not so bad." _

"_Is that so? Good." Akashi straddled Kuroko all of a sudden, then whispered in his ear huskily. "Now let's cotinue where we left off last night."_

"_S-Sei—!" Kuroko was now fully awake, in more ways than one._

"_I remember you saying something about having mad, wild love, ne, Tetsuya?"_

"_I said something like that?" In the dark, Kuroko blushed. Akashi nodded._

"_But Sei, it's early morning! Can't we—" _

"_I'm afraid not. I hardly slept last night. Any idea why, Tet-su-ya?" He blew softly in Kuroko's ear, his hands already opening Kuroko's robe, his fingers ghosting over the creamy pale skin that was revealed to him. _

"_Hnn..." Kuroko moaned. It sounded like music in his ears._

_"No more protests, Tetsuya?" As his hand closed gently over the tealhead's hardening member, he heard Kuroko's breath caught in his throat as he repressed another moan of pleasure._

_"N-no, S-sei — Ah!" Kuroko bucked under him. Akashi smirked before doing what they should have done the night before. _

_Mad, wild love._

There was the crashing sound of broken glass. In his frustration, Akashi had thrown the bottle of wine, still half-full, into the far wall. Cursing, he stood and stomped his way into the couch. He no longer sleeps on the bed. For almost six years, the bed was left unused. It seemed too large for him, and the space just reminds him of what he had lost. Lying there on the narrow sofa, he stared unblinkingly at the bland white ceiling. In the background, there was another crashing sound. He looked around him, wondering what it was. He hadn't thrown anything. And then he knew. He knew as he looked at his own empty hands.

It wasn't the sound of glass.

It was the sound of his heart, breaking.

* * *

"So you're going back to Tokyo?"

Kuroko looked down on the ground. Nigou sat in the snow beside the bench. The girl beside him nudged his arm.

"Answer me, Ya-chan. Will you go back now to Tokyo?" Her own pale blue eyes stared at Kuroko's identical ones.

"...I'm not sure. I said goodbye a long, long time ago."

The girl sighed in disappointment. "C'mon, Ya-chan! I expected a better answer from my dear cousin!"

Kuroko heaved a sigh as well, his shoulders slumped dejectedly. "It's not that simple, Tetsumi. Six years is a long time..."

"But you never know until you try! What if Akashi-kun still loves you? Would you be able to live without knowing the answer to that?"

"I was the one who left him behind. It's part of the consequences."

"But you did it for his sake! You owe him an explanation for leaving him out in the cold!" The girl said, frustrated at her cousin's low spirits.

"Tetsumi, I can't —"

"Ya-chan, I don't know how many times I told you this in your six-year stay in Hokkaido but Ya-chan, you can't keep on running away from Akashi-kun. You shouldn't have let his father get to you. Truth be told, you acted rashly. Instead of talking it through with Akashi-kun, you decided on your own, and look where it got you both."

Kuroko winced at her words. It was true - every single word of it. However, at that time, he was afraid for the future of his beloved, that without thinking he had followed to the orders of Akashi's father.

"I know, Tetsumi, but still..." The young man fell silent for a while, then raised his face with a sad smile. "...I don't know if Sei can forgive me or not."

"Baka!" She whacked him a good one on the head. As Kuroko glared at her, she stuck out her tongue at him. Then, she took her phone from her coat pocket and after a few swipes, she handed it to the confused male.

"This..."

On the online news webpage displayed on the phone's screen are the words: **Business tycoon Akashi Masaomi dead from heart attack.**

Kuroko did not even have to read the whole article to confirm. And then there was a side article with Akashi's photo on it. It was a short interview about the issue of Akashi being disowned by his late father, to which Akashi had clarified by saying, "He didn't disown me — I did." To the shock of the press, he went on to explain that he was busy managing his own company, which by the way had managed to be on par with his father's own company in just half a decade.

"Se-sei was disowned...?"

"Yes, of his own choice." Tetsumi took her phone back from Kuroko's trembing hands. "It was all over the news a year after you left him. If I remember correctly, Akashi cut ties from their family's company months after you vanished. It was kept under wraps but somehow word leaked out, especially when Akashi-kun's own company started making waves in the business world."

"So, all of this was... How could I have been so stupid...?"

"True. How could you be so stupid?" Tetsumi was being harsh on purpose to Kuroko, but she had to. Subtlety never worked on her cousin, anyway.

"Ya-chan, after all the time you spent together with Akashi-kun, have known by then that no one can decide Akashi-kun's future but himself alone. He was merely tolerant of his father, but that does not mean that he was being controlled."

"I can see that." Kuroko felt a slight chill despite the warm clothing that he was wearing. Nigou whined silently the sad face of his owner.

So he had just caused them both unnecessary trouble and pain...?

* * *

_The man lowered his voice and continued in a low murmur, as if to build tension. _

"_Go somewhere far from Tokyo, where no one from your circle of friends will find you and relay the information to Seijuurou."_

"_..."_

_The man's eyes shone with a disgusting, slimy kind of light. It was not the lively kind of light that illuminated the way forward. His eyes were glowing dimly from their depths in an attempt to lure the prey close. _

_This man... Kuroko realized he had gritted his teeth. This man is nothing like Akashi. Unlike the redhead, who has a caring heart under all those threatening words and gestures, this man was just downright evil._

"_And what if someone sees me and tells Akashi-kun about it?"_

"_If Seijuurou seeks you out, then he might as well get out of the manor."_

_For an instant, Kuroko's voice and breath caught in his throat. All he could do was stare, bewildered, at the man. _

"_How can you do such a thing to your own son?!" he cried out._

_The man leaned back on the couch and smiled amiably. _

"_Listen here, Kuroko-kun. I don't think you have the right to discuss how I should and should not treat Seijuurou. He is my son. Mine. I can do whatever I want with him. His life belongs to me. Understand that?"_

"_Wh..." Kuroko stared harder at the man. He was not like Akashi. _

_"You wouldn't want Seijuurou to be banished from his family, would you?" Kuroko shook his head slowly. The base of his neck ached dully. _

"_Good. You're an intelligent person, and I can see that we've come to an understanding."_

_Kuroko fell silent. The man glanced at him before rising from his seat._

_"One wrong move from you, and there goes Seijuurou'a bright future. Well then, I'll be going. Remember everything I've told you, Kuroko-kun."_

* * *

_Maybe we'll see each other in the distant future, but for now, I have to say farewell._

The wind blew, making the ends of his scarf flapping softly. The clouds covered the sky as the land enrobed itself in the darkness of nighttime.

_Sei_.

A tiny crack appeared in the clouds, revealing deep purple sky.

A solitary star twinkled.

Far off, underneath the same sky, was Akashi Seijuurou.

Kuroko yielded to the wind as he gazed intently up at that star.

The time has come.

* * *

***** Reviews are very much appreciated, so please leave one after you read my stories! Arigatō gozaimasu! *****

***** Cliffhanger! *****

***** Preparing myself for the death threats for another 'Why-the-fuck-are-you-separating-Akashi-from Kuroko-you-evil-author' story. *****

***** Happy reading! (If you can find anything in my story that's worth being happy about...) *****


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